Knife splashing

Chapter 318: Refining in the Rain
Before daybreak, Master Lu and his disciples were busy.

To refine important magical instruments, one still needs the help of favorable weather and location, and of course a sacrificial ceremony is indispensable.

Not only should we worship the ancestor of the blacksmith profession, Laozi, but we should also worship Guandi Emperor at the same time.

It is somewhat inappropriate to offer sacrifices to Laojun in a Buddhist temple.

Therefore, the sacrificial site was moved outside the temple.

In the open space of Fuhu Mountain at the back, there is not only an altar, but also the tablets of Taishang Laojun and Guandi.

As for the front, there is a newly built furnace, as well as bellows, hammers, anvils and other tools.

All of these have been tied up with red cloth.

Master Lu also changed his attire today. He wore a black shirt made of coarse cloth, a large leather apron, a white cloth wrapped around his head, and a red rope tied around his waist.

And around his waist, there was a wooden sign hanging.

It looks very old, with the words "Daguan Iron and Steel" engraved on it.

Li Yan and Sharifei were outsiders, so they stood at a distance and watched the ceremony.

"What is 'Daguan Iron and Steel'?" Li Yan whispered.

Sharifei smiled and replied, "What a coincidence, I just asked about it."

"During the Song Dynasty, iron smelting was extremely prosperous. 'Daguang Iron Smelting' was the imperial court's iron smelting office, which gathered many famous craftsmen of the time. They also cooperated with Shen Kuo to compile 'Mengxi Bitan'."

"Master Lu's ancestor was the master of casting at the Daguan Iron Smelter at that time. This plaque is also a magic tool and has become a token of his sect."

"I see."

Li Yan nodded slightly. He didn't expect that Master Lu had such a background.

In the distance, the sacrificial ceremony officially began.

Master Lu and others lit incense and candles, placed offerings, and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Taishang Laojun and Guandijun.

Then the old man stood up, holding the "Daguan Iron and Steel" order, kept making hand gestures, muttering something, opened the wine on the altar and sprinkled it in all directions.

And his disciples quickly stepped forward.

They used scissors to cut off the red cloth on all the utensils, and then a disciple came with a big rooster, bit open its comb, and sprayed the chicken blood on all the utensils.

Wow!
Black glass-like coal was poured into the furnace. The disciples worked quickly and soon the furnace was burning red.

Sharifei said with a click of his tongue: "Master Lu has invested a lot of money this time. These are all white coal shipped from Zezhou Prefecture. They are of extremely high quality, without any smoke or odor, and have a very strong combustion power."

Then he whispered, "I also heard a piece of news that a lot of high-quality coal was found in Jinzhou. The court has sent people to dig a large amount of it, and people from the Duwei Division send it to the capital every day."

"Most likely it was transported to the Shenji Camp in the capital."

Li Yan was not surprised at all, and nodded, saying, "This item is related to the fate of the court. The emperor will definitely not trust others with it. I guess he will use new gunpowder to control all places in the future."

As they were talking, two disciples had already taken off their upper body clothes, revealing their toned muscles, and let the drizzle roll down their bodies.

They both took out a yellow talisman at the same time, stepped on the Gang Step, and chanted: "Master Xueshan, the snow gate is open, Master Xueshan, the snow is coming... I am obeying the command of the Supreme Lord Lao, and I will do it immediately!"

Snow Mountain Method?
Li Yan was a little puzzled. Why did sacrifices require magic?
But soon, he found out the reason.

As soon as the Snow Mountain Technique was used, a chill spread all over the bodies of the two disciples.

They casually put on straw hats and came to the fire. One of them took out the boiling hot iron pot, and the other scooped it up with an iron spoon.

In the open space at the back, a six-meter-high double-layer flower shed had already been built, covered with fresh willow branches and tied with fireworks and firecrackers.

"Hey!"

With a roar, the disciple threw the red-hot iron juice into the air.

The iron juice collided with the flower shed, and in an instant, thousands of iron flowers fell and splashed, shining brightly and lighting up the darkness.

At the same time, fireworks and firecrackers on the shed were also lit.

The crackling sound echoed everywhere.

It turned out to be iron flower making!

Li Yan folded his arms and admired the magnificent sight with a smile.

This "iron flower" was originally a ritual to pray for blessings, ward off disasters, and exorcise evil spirits. It is also a sacrificial ceremony for the five craftsmen of gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin, and it dates back a very long time.

It was such a lively scene that not only the guards of Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce but even the young monks of Yuquan Temple came out to watch.

After the ceremony, the sky was already slightly bright.

The "knife-sharpening rain" continued to fall.

Master Lu and his disciples had a vegetarian meal, then washed their hands with willow branches and tied red cloths on their heads.

Next, not only does the last step of completing the ritual instrument have to be completed, but each instrument also has to undergo a consecration ceremony, which will last until late at night.

The first things to be made were the six flying knives.

This is the soul-breaking flying knife specially made by Li Yan.

He also asked Master Lu to look at his Dust-Breaking Knife. Master Lu admitted that his technique was so exquisite that he was not as good as him, and any addition would be a burden.

The original hidden knife could be detected by supernatural powers if used against an expert, and there is also the soul-catching rope, so it is used less and less nowadays.

The secret method left by Liu Gang can use the Soul-Catching Rope to control the Soul-Breaking Flying Knife, so Li Yan asked Master Lu to make six of them.

The frame of the Soul-Breaking Flying Knife has been completed. It is hollow in the center and is made of meteorite iron.

These meteorites are also not ordinary items. They are collected after falling from the sky. First, iron embryos are refined, and then they are tempered into steel. They are then stored in the treasure cellar of Mount Huashan to absorb the innate Gengjin energy of Mount Xiyue.

Just placed there, it flashes with cold light.

The central hollow part is made of ground dragon bones and Dianzhou white copper, inlaid with a Suanni pattern composed of tiny talismans.

Of course, the two have not yet been combined.

Master Lu suddenly turned around and said, "Boy, there are two ways. Which one do you want to choose?"

Li Yan quickly bowed and said, "Master, please give me some advice."

Master Lu said in a deep voice: "I have two methods. One is the Baoguang Suanni, which can be hidden in the mist and can be controlled flexibly. The other is the Xue Suanni, which requires your blood to be sacrificed. It is fierce and domineering. When you draw your sword, blood will be drawn, otherwise it will bite its master."

Li Yan laughed and said, "No matter how good a magic weapon is, it is for human use. What's the point of having something that can devour its owner?"

"Although the murderous nature is strong, if killing is effective, there won't be so many troubles in this world. Then use the Baoguang Suanni method."

"well said!"

Master Lu stroked his beard and smiled, "You are so young, but you have already gained so much knowledge. You will surely achieve something in the future. It is not a waste of my skills."

After saying that, he turned around abruptly, his expression becoming solemn.

"Take the water from Zhuo Dao Spring and quench it!"

At the command, a disciple immediately brought the cool spring water.

Master Lu was already holding the "Daguan Iron Smelter", stepping on the Gangbu, pinching the hand seals, and using a more advanced craftsman technique called "Bronze Order". Gangqi was lingering all over his body, and his tendons, bones and muscles became swollen.

This method is not only like the Snow Mountain Method, it is not afraid of the boiling hot molten iron, but it can also make the whole body as hard as iron and have infinite power.

He held six throwing knife embryos and put them into the furnace to forge them. He then swung an iron hammer, causing sparks to fly, and continued to temper them in water.

Sharifei's eyes were full of excitement, and he whispered, "Zhuo Dao Spring is Yang, which is used to forge weapons and sharpen their edges. Ba Wang Jing Han Spring is Yin, which is used for white copper runes."

"Listen to the sound later. If you hear the dragon roar of a blade between nine forgings, it means you have borrowed the good fortune for the day."

Sure enough, when forging for the third time, the hammer hit down, the weapon vibrated, and a clanging sound was heard around, like a dragon's roar.

“Hahaha…good sign!”

Master Lu smiled happily, put the forged flying knife blank aside, and took out another one to forge.

The time of each dragon roar sound is different. Sometimes it appears the second time, and sometimes it even appears the last time.

Although Li Yan didn't understand the principle, he could smell that the flying knife had a sharper aura. "Cold Spring Water!"

Master Lu gave another low shout, and his disciples immediately changed the water.

The bones of the earth dragon are tough, but they are bones after all, and cannot be put into fire forging. However, he has another method. He changed the small hammer and the whetstone, and kept adjusting it in the sharpening rain while pinching the magic formula.

Finally, all the earth dragon bone cores were embedded into the flying knives, fitting perfectly as if they had grown together naturally.

After doing all this, Master Lu mixed the two spring waters and sharpened the knife on the grindstone. Every once in a while, he would make hand gestures and chant:

"The sword bestowed by the emperor illuminates the yin and yang, and the heavenly and earthly evil spirits become divine weapons. With one blow, they can slash away all the evil spirits and monsters, and with two blows, they can slash away all the evil spirits and monsters... I am bestowed by the emperor Taishang Laojun, and the divine weapons are ready to move as ordered!"

This is the consecration ceremony.

As soon as it ended, the flying knife seemed to have a soul and began to vibrate.

"Good knife!"

Master Lu picked up the flying knife and took a look at it. "This method is also wonderful. It seems to have some of the techniques of the Taishan craftsmen."

As he said that, he waved his hand and said, "Catch the knife!"

call out!
The flying knife cut through the rain curtain and came whistling.

Master Lu was also a martial arts expert. He used clever strength and his move seemed swift, but Li Yan simply flipped his wrist and caught it, holding it in his palm to examine it.

The blade was exquisite and full of murderous aura. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it. He couldn't help but hold the flying knife and make hand gestures.

Wow!
All the soul-catching ropes penetrated into the flying knives.

Among the people present, there were also people with the ability of hearing. They seemed to have heard something and looked at Li Yan with some suspicion.

Li Yan was too lazy to pay attention. He stretched out his hand and swung the flying knife. It whizzed out and circled around him, but because it was pulled by the soul-catching spell, it was always within three meters, flying up and down, extremely flexible.

"Flying sword?"

Sharifei's eyes suddenly widened.

"Hahaha...it's just a small magic trick, not even a flying sword!"

Li Yan smiled happily and waved his hand lightly. The flying knife quickly returned and inserted into the leather sheath prepared in advance at his waist.

He said it modestly, but he felt somewhat proud inside.

For this Soul-Breaking Sword, it is easy to travel within three meters. Because it is infused with the power of the Soul-Hooking Rope, it can also directly nail the enemy's soul.

Although it is not as powerful as the legendary flying sword, it should not be underestimated.

Master Lu ignored it and continued to concentrate on refining the weapon. It took him a full hour to make all the flying knives.

And the flying knife is the easiest magical weapon.

He simply drank a sip of water, then with a serious expression took out a musket, which was a flintlock pistol also made for Li Yan.

Just like the flying knives, all that remains is the final assembly and consecration.

Of course, this magic weapon has already taken shape, and the gun handle is made of earth dragon bones and ebony spirit wood, which also cannot be exposed to the fire. So he changed another method, took out the Bagua treasure mirror, and shone it on the musket.

Li Yan had never heard of this technique before, and it looked very strenuous. Even Master Lu had sweat on his forehead...

…………

While they were busy, there was also celebration in all parts of Ezhou.

In Wuchang City, in the Baotong Zen Temple's Huguo Mingwang Hall, many monks chanted Buddhist scriptures, wooden fishes sounded, and incense smoke filled the air.

In Buddhism, Lord Guan is the Buddha who protects the country, but in Taoist temples and some monasteries, he is called Emperor Guan.

Almost all Guandi Temples in Ezhou have people offering sacrifices to them. Even some gangs hire people to perform rituals and burn incense to Guan Erye one by one.

This is the style of a top-level vulgar god.

Not to mention Ezhou, all the temples of Guandi in the whole Shenzhou are holding sacrificial ceremonies at this moment.

Outside the Yangguan Mausoleum, the sound of gongs and drums was deafening.

In the three cities of Wuchang, it is called "Sharpening Knife Rain", while here, it is called "Single Sword Meeting".

Outside Guanling, from the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, there were tents of all sizes set up. Some were singing operas, some were performing, all kinds of street performers gathered, and even more were various small vendors.

People from around Dangyang, and even from Xiangyang in Jingzhou, all came from afar just to attend this grand event.

Guan Peide, with a smile on his face, presided over the meeting with several local gentry.

He recited the sacrificial text under the gaze of the crowd. From the prefect to the county magistrate, as well as gentry and scholars from all over the country, all gathered below the stage.

After the sacrificial text was read, firecrackers blasted.

The Guan family all entered Guanling to burn incense and worship. At this moment, they were the protagonists, and even the officials had to follow behind.

Seeing the temple fair going on smoothly, Guan Peide couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and took the opportunity to pray for Li Yan in front of Guandi.

Perhaps the blessing worked, and the process of refining the magic weapon outside the Yuquan Temple went extremely smoothly.

Soon, Li Yan got his own musket and played with it in his hands with excitement.

This flintlock pistol is about one foot long. It is not as exquisite as the firearms in his previous life, but it is more gorgeous.

The ebony gun handle is inlaid with a white jade dragon bone handle, the brass bolt is engraved with the Eight Trigrams Evil-Suppressing Talisman, and there is also a dragon-shaped decoration on the front end of the gun handle.

It looks like a work of art.

"Brother Yan, here you go."

Sharifi pulled out a leather belt with twelve yellow magazines on it, about the size of a child's fist, and a leather holster.

"I have already filled all the gunpowder. The bullets are iron balls, and there is oil paper seal on the outside, so it is not afraid of rain and moisture. When you want to use it, tear off the oil paper and insert it into the back..."

After Sharifei's explanation, Li Yan quickly figured out how to operate it.

To put it bluntly, it's based on the same principle as the Francois cannon.

With a bullet holster on, a flintlock pistol on one side and six soul-breaking flying knives on the other, plus the dust-breaking knife on his waist and two fire caltrops given by Shalifi, Li Yan was armed to the teeth.

With this outfit, his combat power increased dramatically.

He smiled from ear to ear and continued to wait for the refining of the weapon.

At the same time, in the main hall of the Buddha of the Baotong Temple, the ritual to worship Guandi had also ended.

Zen Master Tongxuan slowly opened his eyes, "Chengjue, let's begin."

At the command, Chengjue immediately led the monks from the Law Enforcement Hall to the altar, covered the twelve small statues of Guandi with red cloth, and then carefully picked them up and walked out one after another.

At this moment, many people were already waiting outside.

Even the Wuchang Garrison sent 300 people to escort them, 100 of whom carried muskets on their backs.

Everyone immediately rode their horses to the Wuchang City Pier.

At this moment, there are already crowds of people here. Many people are looking forward to it. Some are holding umbrellas, while others just ignore it.

And outside the dock on the Yangtze River, twelve dragon boats were waiting.

"Lord Guan is here!"

As one person cheered, many people hurriedly lit three incense sticks in their hands. Some bowed respectfully, while others knelt directly in the mud and kowtowed.

Crackling!

The sound of firecrackers rang out along with the sound of gongs and drums.

The entire dock was suddenly filled with noise...

　Second update at 12 o'clock

　　
　
(End of this chapter)